Vancouver Podiatry - West Vancouver

Vancouver Podiatry is a state-of-the-art clinic with offices in Kerrisdale and New Westminster, where Vancouver podiatrist, Dr. Roy Mathews and his associates, offer the latest in sports medicine, surgical and non-surgical treatments for foot pain, custom orthotics and on-site bunion surgery.The term “podiatrist” is a fancy word for foot doctor. Podiatrists, also known as podiatric physicians or surgeons, specialize in medical care of the foot, ankle, and lower leg.
In order to practice podiatry, they must earn a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) degree from a recognized college of podiatric medicine. They must pass written and oral board examinations and obtain a provincial license to practice podiatric medicine. The admission process for Colleges of Podiatric Medicine is rigorous and requires:

Completion of at least 90 semester hours of undergraduate study at a fully-accredited institution.Meeting or exceeding a specified grade point average.Meeting or exceeding a specified score on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) which is the same test required of applicants to medical schools in the US and Canada.

Compulsory courses include Biology, Chemistry (inorganic and organic), and Physics. Prospective students are also evaluated on the basis of letters of recommendation, interviews, and extracurricular activities.

Morton’s neuroma is an inflammation of the nerve in the ball of the foot caused by an entrapment of the nerve between the metatarsal heads. The nerve becomes enlarged and is irritated by the metatarsal heads applying pressure on it. Symptoms of a Morton’s neuroma are pain and numbness in a specific spot in the ball of the foot, sometimes extending into the toes.
At times the pain may be absent and, at other times, severe enough to require immediate removal of the shoe. The condition tends to get worse with time and can be a very debilitating disorder. When conservative treatments fail to relieve pressure from the nerve, a neurectomy (surgical removal of the damaged nerve) has traditionally been performed.
Today, Vancouver Podiatry uses a newer, minimally invasive procedure developed by Koby Surgical. This procedure, called Nerve Decompression can be performed through a single small incision between the toes, which requires only a local anesthetic.
The enlarged nerve is decompressed by isolating and releasing the ligament above it. By relieving the pressure on the nerve from the metatarsal heads, the painful symptoms can be eliminated. The patient’s nerve is left intact with no loss of sensation. There is also a shorter recovery period without the complications associated with neurectomies. This is a very safe procedure with a high success rate and it is becoming the standard care for hundreds of surgeons throughout the country.
Hallux limitus is the development of degenerative arthritis in the big toe joint (first metatarsophalangeal joint) that progressively limits motion in the joint (when the motion is completely gone, the condition is called hallux rigidus). The condition is also characterized by loss of joint space, spur formation and pain. Orthotics can offer some early relief for hallux limitus by removing stress from the joint.
Restoration of joint motion in cases of hallux limitus and rigidus can be achieved surgically by performing the Tricorrectional Osteotomy on moderately progressed joints and joint implantation or fusion on severely affected joints. The Tricorrectional Osteotomy places the joint in a better working position, creating a larger joint space, removing spurs and allowing for an early return to activities. When the joint is significantly progressed, it can be surgically replaced or permanently fused.

Product and Services

foot doctor vancouver,podiatrist vancouver,orthotics vancouver,vancouver podiatrist,bunion surgery.Dr. Mathews of Vancouver Podiatry focuses a substantial part of his practice on elective forefoot surgery. In particular, Dr Mathews has a keen interest in offering the latest procedures for bunions, hallux limitus, neuromas and hammertoes.
The doctors at Vancouver Podiatry are currently the only podiatrists in Vancouver who perform the Tricorrectional Bunionectomy. Dr. Mathews has recently incorporated both the StayFuse procedure for hammertoes and the Minimally Invasive Neuroma Decompression (MIND) for morton’s neuromas. Most of the procedures are performed under local anesthetic by oral sedation, in the clinic’s operating rooms. This reduces the risk of anesthesia-related complications and allows the patient to leave the clinic as soon as their surgery is complete.
A bunion is a mal-aligned big toe joint that causes inflammation of the overlying skin and soft tissue. Bunion pain is caused by either pressure on the tissues overlying the bunion, or from within the joint itself. Bunions are corrected by realigning the bone and joint of the first metatarsal and then removing the excess bone.
The average person takes thousands of steps each day, which puts a lot of pressure on the feet. This can lead to biomechanical problems with lasting effects. What’s more, everyone is unique and has a distinct walking pattern, which creates the need for customized treatment. There is no “one size fits all” solution to foot problems.
F-Scan foot pressure measurement technology, allows us to easily and accurately evaluate your unique condition. The state-of-the-art F-Scan system enables us to see inside your footwear and under your feet to properly diagnose your foot problem.
Orthotics can help you restore balance, improve sports performance, walk comfortably in high heels, and reduce or, better still, eliminate foot, back and leg pain. Orthotics are custom-made inserts that fit inside the shoe to decrease abnormal foot motion. Until recently, making orthotics required plaster casting – complete with pouring, casting, molding and construction. Now orthotics have gone digital with the use of 3-D laser optical casting.
Both plaster and optical casting rely on the clinician holding the foot in the correct neutral position for accuracy. Both methods also provide an accurate three-dimensional contour of the foot. The difference is that in order to be 100% accurate, plaster casting requires total contact of the plaster with an immobilized foot, which can be difficult to achieve. Optical casting, on the other hand, gives a data sampling every four hundredths of an inch and as such, has been found to be more accurate than plaster.
With optical scanning we check the scan to see if it corresponds to the biomechanical examination. If discrepancies are apparent, another scan be quickly taken with very little effort. Offering improved speed and accuracy in orthotic casting, Vancouver Podiatry Clinic is pleased to introduce the next generation of 3-D lasers in our clinic.